I second the above request for more information. Did you optimize the phase shifting in the receiver array to form the tightest beam, or is that just done by positioning the detector elements? The link to the online calculator didn't work for me.
On the topic of hackable laser rangefinders, recently some cheaper versions have become available, and one of them, the Uni-T UT380B (available for $60 from dx.com), has an easily accessible serial port that outputs the measurement. Range finding can be initiated via the keyboard connector. Here are the details: http://blog.qartis.com/arduino-laser-distance-meter/ So, you can have a self-contained computerized module that does not need to be read by a human. The UT380B is supposedly accurate to +/- 2 mm, up to 45 m. I just got mine from DX.com, and it seems to be very well made and reasonably rugged. I haven't hacked into it yet, but that is on the list.